Marketplace took its results and questions to Dyson engineer David Hill at the company's headquarters in Malmesbury, England. In this case, Siegel said, 'it is clear that you are paying more for the features than you are for the air purifier.' The Dyson Pure Hot+Cool HP04 also has a heater. The Dysons we tested averaged a CADR of about 140 m3/hour, lower than most of the other air purifiers we tested, and well below the approximately 200 m3/hr Siegel recommends for cleaning small to medium-sized rooms.ĭyson air purifiers consistently test lower than other air purifiers Consumer Reports tested the Dyson TP04 Pure Cool Air Purifier and found it 'one of the worst-rated air purifiers in CR's tests, despite being one of the most expensive.' It also outperformed the $800 Dyson Pure Hot+Cool.Īt the pricier end of the scale, the Dyson Pure Hot+Cool did not perform as well as some of the less-expensive products. While a poorly performing cheaper model might fall into the category of 'you get what you pay for,' our $70 DIY box fan and filter outperformed the Levoit by a large margin, averaging just under 200 m3/hour in our tests. The Dyson Pure Hot + Cool is the most expensive purifier Marketplace tested, but it fared worse than a DIY box fan and filter in tests. WATCH | Marketplace test reveals the most effective air purifier:

Using incense smoke in 24.0 m³ chamber, Siegel and his team tested each device to see how much air-cleaning power it delivers - what's known as the Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR). Marketplace purchased 15 devices in total - three of the same models for each of the five brands used in our tests. All of the models we tested use pleated HEPA filters. Viruses such as the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 often attach themselves to dust or droplets, and a good air purifier with a HEPA filter can help capture them.Īll HEPA filters are supposed to remove at least 99.97 per cent of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria and airborne particles.

You still need masks, hand-washing and physical distancing to keep the virus at bay.Ī HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter is a key part of the equation, too. However Siegel warns all of those things are not enough on their own to protect your family from COVID-19. (Anu Singh/CBC)īut air purifiers need to be efficient and sized appropriately for the space they are in. Jeffrey Siegel is a professor of civil engineering at the University of Toronto who has been studying indoor air quality for over 20 years. Siegel said a good air purifier can also help clear out coronavirus particles and reduce the air's viral load. Working with Siegel and his team, Marketplace put five popular brands to the test: the Levoit LV-H132, GermGuardian AC5350B, Dyson Pure Hot + Cool, BlueAir Blue Pure 211+ and the Honeywell HPA 160, as well as a DIY box fan with an added filter.Īir purifier sales in Canada jumped nine per cent in 2020 compared to pre-pandemic 2019, totalling $136 million, according to statistics from market research firm Euromonitor. University of Toronto engineering professor Jeffrey Siegel, a leading expert on ventilation, filtration and indoor air quality, calls it 'a marketing jungle.' There are plenty of claims for consumers to wade through: 'the only air purifier, heater and fan to clean a whole room properly ' 'UV-C light killing germs ' and 'true HEPA filter' are just some of the promises Marketplace investigated. Popular air purifier brands are making a lot of promises about what they can do to keep your home safe, but a CBC Marketplace investigation found that a homemade DIY purifier can actually outperform some of the most well-known brands on the market. Clean indoor air is increasingly important as COVID-19 keeps Canadians inside.

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